


The Voice and the Vessel: The End

by VanillaGiddyup



Series: The Voice and the Vessel [3]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-18 18:24:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16522301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanillaGiddyup/pseuds/VanillaGiddyup
Summary: Robin is finally set free from captivity just in time to die.





	The Voice and the Vessel: The End

I always thought that dying was supposed to hurt. Especially when it involved having a sword through your gut. But as I looked down and verified that there was, in fact, a sword in my gut, all I could think was that it didn't hurt. It didn't feel like anything. I hadn't even felt it go in.

Then again, I hadn't actually been in control of my body until the sword was in there.

I had been in the dark. I didn't even know how long I had been in the dark. Time didn't have any meaning in there. Nothing did. I couldn't do anything in the dark except look and listen, and he hadn't even let me see outside unless he wanted to hurt me. I kept sinking into the void until he dragged me out to show me something, and it was always something unpleasant.

I had lost count of how many people he had forced me to watch him kill. The first one had been Chrom. I knew I would never forget that. How could I? It was my greatest failure. It was the moment I knew I had doomed the world through my own stupidity. Everything that happened after that was all because of me. Because I had listened to him. Because I had wanted eternal life.

Which was, I assumed, why he made me watch Tiki die next.

He didn't even have to do anything. I'd never forget seeing her. Seeing her react to me. Seeing her give in to her despair. Seeing her fall. I had made the worst choice possible for her sake, and it was all for nothing.

I remembered her rampage. How she destroyed the Dragon's Table and killed Virion before he could even react. How Kellam had given his life to get everyone out, and no one but Sully had even noticed. She had even killed Validar right there, but Grima didn't care. Validar was only ever a tool. His death meant nothing. She had flown away. I only ever saw her once more. We had tracked her down and lured her into a city. We forced the Shepherds to deal with her. We killed five of them, but not before…

" _R-Robin? Is...is that you?"_

" _It is."_ It hadn't been. It had been him cradling her as she lay dying. Using my face. My voice.

" _I...am...so sorry. This...is all...my fault."_

" _No. It was mine."_

" _You mustn't...blame...yourself..."_

" _Oh, I don't blame myself. You misunderstand. I'm happy it turned out like this. This is everything I ever wanted from you. You did it. You destroyed so much and killed so many. And now...now you're dead. Naga's daughter is finally dead. And good riddance to you."_ I remembered the look of despair on her face. He had let me see it. Let me understand the totality of my failure and the magnitude of what I had done. I wanted to scream out that it wasn't me talking. That it was him. That I loved her. That I was so sorry. But I couldn't. It wasn't my body anymore.

" _No..."_ It was her last word. And he had laughed. I retaliated the only way I could. I made him think about her all the time. I never let him take his mind off of her. I made him obsessed with her, and then I made him obsessed with me. It was all I could do.

But now he was gone. He was finally gone. I was finally free. I could...finally die.

Chrom pulled the sword out of me. That was when the pain came rushing in. It was agony. I couldn't think of anything that could be more painful than what I was feeling. My vision got dark and I knew I was about to black out and likely never wake up. It didn't matter. I deserved it.

Distantly I heard the sound of a heavy impact followed by a gasp of pain. I couldn't place what it was. It was too far away. There was a crashing sound and then the body below me shook as I felt him roar in pain. I felt myself start to fall. I thought it was death taking me, but then I realized that we were actually, physically falling. He was disappearing. He was being sealed away. It was over. It was really, truly over.

I was free.

I felt my body start to float. It was a sensation I hadn't experienced in a lifetime. Naga was transporting me. I had no idea why she was moving me when she should have been moving everyone else, but she was. It was possible she was bringing everyone else. I couldn't tell. I couldn't see anymore. My vision was too dark. I didn't have long, thank the gods. I had lived too long already.

I felt the ground underneath me and I saw a light above me. I couldn't focus on anything, but I knew it had to be the sun. The sun was shining. It was a beautiful day and I was finally free. Thank Naga. No one had to worry anymore. He was gone.

A voice was speaking from far away. I hadn't heard it is so long that I almost didn't recognize it. For a moment I thought I was dead, and then I realized that there was no way I would hear it in the afterlife. We weren't going to the same place. I was going to get punished like I deserved.

"Robin. Robin I beg you, wake up. Please. Wake up, my Robin. Please. Gods above, please, let him live. Robin. Robin. Robin…" I had to call out to her. I had to talk to her again. I had to...apologize.

"T-Tiki? Is th-that...you?" I couldn't see, but I knew it was. I would know her voice anywhere.

"I...I am here," she said. I could hardly believe my ears. It was really her. She was alive. Of course it was the her from this time, but it was still her. And she was asking for me. That meant she and I had found each other in this time too.

"I...I h-haven't heard your voice in s-s-so long," I said. My voice was thin and weak. "Since you...died. I'm...so...sorry. My f-fault. A-all of it." I started coughing and it felt like I was spitting up blood.

"Are you free of Grima's control?" she asked me. Thank the gods, but I was. She sounded...distant. I had to fight not to be upset. I knew that she didn't think of me like him. I wasn't him. I was...I was the man who destroyed the world. I was surprised she didn't sound more disgusted.

"Grima...finally...out of...my head," I said. I gave up trying to see and I closed my eyes. I felt tears forming, but I forced myself to speak. "Is...he alive?"

"Barely," she said. "He is clinging to life. I'm sorry, I need to get him some aid." Of course she did. He...he was still worth saving. He hadn't done what I had. I was dead anyway.

"I...can...help him," I said. There was a chance. I still had the Shadowgift. I didn't know how much power was left in me, but if I could share it with him it might counter the curses.

"How?" she said. "You are dying. What can you do?" I hoped that wasn't hatred I heard. It probably wasn't. She was probably just worried about him.

"Hit him with...curses," I said, "my fault. Need to...make up...give me...his hand."

"You are too far away and I cannot move him," she said. I decided to take a chance.

"Then...give me...yours..." It was possible I could send power through her and into him as long as she was willing. But she would be. For his sake if not mine. I felt her hand in mine and I felt myself crying even harder. It was really her. I'd know the feeling of her hand anywhere. It was really, truly her.

"Now what?" Now? Now I wanted her to never let go. To hold my hand until the end. To see me off. But I couldn't say that.

"Take...his," I said. "Think...of him. Will the power...through you." I gave her some time to picture him. She needed to form as clear of a portrait of him in her mind as possible. While I waited I did the same for her. I thought of the smile I hadn't seen in so long. I thought of the way we used to nap together. I thought of the softness of her hair when I ran my fingers through it. I thought of the feeling of her against me in the night. I thought of all the love we had shared even though we had only been given a few months. I thought of her crooked smile and her cute little nose and those deep green eyes of hers that matched her hair perfectly.

In short, I thought of Tiki.

I felt the power flow out of me and into her. It was taking my strength with it and I knew it would cost me my life, but still I kept pushing it out so that she could pass it to him. It was the last thing I would do, but I hoped it would somehow make up for at least some small part of what I had done.

"What was that?" I heard her ask from a great distance. I opened my mouth to answer, but very little sound came out.

"Gi...ft..." I said. It was barely above a whisper. "Took...from...Aver...sa..." She was another person I had failed. She had loved me. I had known she had loved me. Even when he had taken me over she had loved me, and I had made her give me power. I had made her give and give from her own essence until there was nothing left.

He had made me watch her die too.

" _Are you...pleased?"_

" _I am. You've done well, and served your purpose just as I needed you to do. I'll make good use of your gift."_

" _I'm...glad..."_ He had cradled her as she died, too. Cradled her and watched the life flow out of her. And he had been happy to see it. And he had given me control just for a moment. Just so I could apologize.

" _Aversa, no! Gods, no, what has he done to you?"_

" _...Ro...bin?"_

" _Gods, Aversa, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."_ She hadn't been able to answer, but her elation turned to despair in her last moments. And then he put me back in the void.

"I do not understand," I hear Tiki say as I was brought back to myself, "but I thank you. For whatever it may be worth, I thank you." I felt the corners of my mouth turn up in a weak smile.

"Wel...come..." She had thanked me. She didn't hate me. I could die in peace. She didn't hate me.

"I forgive you," she said. It was the most blessed thing I could ever remember hearing.

"Thank...you..."I said. My stomach churned, which brought a fresh wave of agony. It was almost over. I had to ask her. I needed to hear it before I faded. I tried to speak, but I didn't think sound came out. Suddenly I felt a warmth near my face. I could tell it was her leaning in.

"What?" she asked. I gathered my last reserves of strength to ask her what I needed to ask her.

"Think...she's...wai...ting...for...me?" She couldn't be. I was damned. I would spent eternity alone and punished like I deserved. I felt her pat my hand.

"I pray she is," she said. I sighed and closed my eyes. It was the beset thing she could have said. I didn't try to speak again. The pain was fading away. I was so tired. So very tired. I relaxed my hold on her hand. The air left me and I didn't have the strength to breathe in any more.

I was so tired.

I opened my eyes and found that I was standing. The pain was gone from my stomach. I looked down and saw that everything was gone from my stomach, including my clothes. I was, in fact, naked. I looked up and glanced around. I couldn't tell where I was. The whole place was a dull gray color with no discernible objects or even outlines indicating that was was a room. It was like the void, but less cold and unforgiving.

Tentatively I took a step forward. There was no visible ground, but even so I didn't fall. Instead I just moved a couple of feet forward. I looked around again. Because there were no features I couldn't actually tell if I had moved or not. I tried again. Still no way to know if I was moving. On a whim, I tried calling out.

"Is...anyone there?"

"...Robin?" I couldn't believe my ears. Not only did I hear a voice behind me, it was a voice I recognized. Not only did I recognize it, it was the last voice I had expected I would hear on this side. I spun around and saw her. She smiled at me and I thought my heart would stop before I realized that I couldn't feel it beating.

"I...I can't believe it!" I said. I started running and I felt like I was underwater. I didn't care. For her sake I would have run to the ends of the world. She started towards me and opened her arms wide. After what felt like I eternity we reached each other and I threw my arms around her. I closed my eyes and smiled.

"Oh, Robin...I can hardly believe it myself. Oh, my Robin..."

"Oh...Tiki..."

"Robin?" Her voice was different. Closer. "Robin, what is it?" My eyes snapped back open and I saw that I was in the dark. I was, in fact, in bed. I also noticed that I was covered in sweat and I was hugging Tiki probably more tightly than was comfortable for her. I relaxed my hold on her, but she in turn hugged me closer. "Do not be afraid," she said. "You are not harming me. What troubles you? You were trembling and you sounded desperate."

"I'm sorry I woke you," I said. I felt her rub her cheek against my chest and reach a hand up to run her hand through my hair.

"I will always be here if you need it," she said. "Please, tell me what nightmare plagued you."

"I...I think I saw the other me die." That had to be what I had experienced. It felt too real to be just a regular nightmare.

"Truly? Did you see through his eyes?"

"I did," I said as I shivered. It had been agonizingly painful. "You...you were with him. It made him so happy."

"I was," she said. "Though it was difficult not to see him as pure evil. I reminded myself that he was as much a victim as any other."

"All he could think about were his regrets," I said. "He wanted to apologize to all of us, for everything."

"Despite everything, I think he was a good man. How could he not be?" She kissed my chest. "He was you." I ran a hand through her hair then kept going down her back. I had done that so many times, but no matter how many times I did it I was always reminded of just how soft her skin was. She was my everything. I wondered if I could make the same decision he had. Fortunately I'd never have to.

"I'm glad you comforted him," I said. "I...think he deserved some peace."

"I do as well," she said, "but tell me, why did you cling to me so tightly? Not that I am complaining, of course." She gave a short laugh and I felt her body tremble against me. I nearly lost my composure at the sensation.

"I...saw through his eyes after he died. I don't know where he ended up, but...he met her. They were together." I kissed her forehead to remind myself that she and I were still together as well. It was such a vivid dream that I almost felt like I had died myself.

"Good," she said as she kissed me. "I cannot say that theirs will be a happy eternity, but I'm glad they are together."

"Me too," I said as I relaxed my hold on her. We settled in a more comfortable position.

"Robin?" She sounded sleepy.

"Yes, dearest?"

"I'm glad to know that you and I found love together in that future as well. Do you want to know why?"

"Of course," I said with a yawn.

"Because," she said, "it means our love is truly eternal." I gave her a kiss and closed my eyes.

"It most certainly is."


End file.
